1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a content display-playback system and a content display-playback method in which a content providing apparatus and display-playback apparatus connected to a wired or wireless network are controlled in operation by an operation control apparatus so that video information can be transmitted among the content providing apparatus, the display-playback apparatus, and the operation control apparatus and that video can be displayed on the display-playback apparatus and the operation control apparatus. The present invention also relates to a recording medium having recorded thereon a content display-playback program implementing the content display-playback method. The present invention also relates to an operation control apparatus in the content display-playback system for controlling operations of the content providing apparatus and the display-playback apparatus via the network.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the prevalence of video recorders capable of recording television (TV) broadcast programs onto videotapes, a “time-shift” viewing style in which users view TV broadcast programs at any convenient time, rather than the broadcast time, has become common. In such a viewing style, the users record many TV broadcast programs and view them later. The recent evolution of recording media from videotapes to hard disks allows the users to easily store a larger amount of video data in hard disks (storage devices) without worrying about the capacity. Such hard-disk-based video recorders are hereinafter referred to as “digital video recorders (DVRs)”, unless specifically stated otherwise.
In a recent content display-playback system, an audio-visual (AV) content server (content providing apparatus) and a display-playback apparatus including a display unit, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display (LCD), or a plasma display, and an audio generation unit are connected to a wired or wireless network established in a home, office, local area, or global area environment. In this content display-playback system, for example, a user who connects at least one digital video recorder to the network as an AV content server can view a recorded TV broadcast program over the network on the display-playback apparatus even at a place distant from the AV content server.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-348125 discloses an information distribution system. In this information distribution system, if access to a network fails during the viewing of moving image data via streaming on the system described above, the current playback position is recorded when a network error occurs so that the distribution of the data can be requested starting from the playback position after recovery from the network error in order to prevent missing data (scenes) during the period in which the network is not accessible.
The information distribution system disclosed in this publication includes an information distribution apparatus and an information processing apparatus. The information distribution apparatus includes a distribution unit that distributes data to the information processing apparatus, and a stopping unit that stops the distribution of the data in response to an instruction for stopping the distribution of the data from the information processing apparatus. When the information processing apparatus issues an instruction for distributing the data, the distribution unit starts the distribution of the data from a predetermined position according to the instruction. The information processing apparatus includes a receiving unit that receives data distributed from the information distribution apparatus, a playback unit that plays back the data received by the receiving unit, a monitoring unit that monitors network traffic, a storage unit that stores the current playback position of the data played back by the playback unit when the monitoring unit detects a network error, and an instructing unit that instructs the information distribution apparatus to start the distribution of the data from the playback position stored in the storage unit when the monitoring unit detects recovery from the network error.
In an existing TV set, a user operates buttons or the like on a remote operation apparatus, an operation control apparatus, or a remote commander (hereinafter referred to as a “remote controller”) for the TV set to display a menu for selection of an available operation on a display screen of the TV set. The user uses the remote controller for the TV set to select an item of interest, and operates the remote controller according to guidance displayed on the display screen to perform the desired operation, such as image quality control or timer setting.
In a receiver for receiving a satellite broadcast signal, such as a set-top box (STB) or an integrated receiver decoder (IRD), electronic program guide (EPG) data is displayed on the display screen of a monitor receiver. A user uses a remote controller attached to the receiver to select a desired program based on the EPG displayed on the display screen of the monitor receiver, whereby a desired one of channels available on the receiver can be selected.
As such, the TV set or the receiver for receiving a TV broadcast signal is configured to provide a user-friendly easy-to-use selection of an item of interest by combining a guide information view, such as a menu, guidance, or EPG, on the display screen with the operation of the remote controller.
In some cases, however, the above-mentioned operation in which information, such as a menu or guidance, is displayed on the display screen of a TV set or a receiver, such as an STB or IRD, and a user operates a remote controller while viewing the information to perform a desired operation on the TV set or the like is complicated.
For example, the user scrolls through a plurality of menu pages or frequently operates the remote controller to move a cursor over the display screen to display a menu page including an item of interest from the plurality of menu pages, and further sets the selected item using the remote controller.
With the employment of LCD panels and the like, the compactness and portability of monitor devices for TV sets and the like have increased, which are designed to be operable within the vicinity of the users. In such cases, remote controllers for the TV sets are no longer necessary. Moreover, the users may be dissatisfied with the existence of remote controllers for operating external input devices, such as receivers, for supplying video signals and audio signals to the TV sets.
The present inventors have proposed a two-way communication system capable of setting up a more easy-to-use home network in which an operation control apparatus equipped with a display can be used to view video information, such as a television program, and to listen to audio information and in which a content providing apparatus and a display-playback apparatus can be remotely operated by means of operation display information displayed on a display element of the operation control apparatus and an intuitive operation of a touch position detector, such as a joystick handle or a touch panel. This system enables remote operation of the content providing apparatus and the display-playback apparatus by means of the operation display information displayed on the display element of the operation control apparatus equipped with the display and the touch position detector, such as a joystick handle or a touch panel, and enables the desired video to be displayed on the display device by means of an easy operation.
The present inventors have further proposed a content display-playback system and a video display control apparatus, which are disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-333359, in which a video signal is supplied from a base device to a plurality of display devices using the above-mentioned two-way communication system, wherein a user only strokes the surface of the display screen of a display device with his/her finger to transmit and receive video between video devices to provide sensible switching, unlike a typical button operation of a remote controller. Specifically, in response to a gesture input provided by the user who moves his/her finger upward on a surface of a touch panel provided on an LCD of a portable display device, a “throw” function of switching the display of video A from the portable display device to a larger display device on which video B has been displayed is carried out. In response to a gesture input provided by the user who moves his/her finger downward on the surface of the touch panel provided on the LCD of the portable display device, a “catch” function of switching the display of the video B from the larger display device to the portable display device on which the video A has been displayed is carried out. The throw/catch functions disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-333359 allow intuitive switching between a plurality of display devices.